Blue Hokkaido™ Haskap (Honeyberry)

Blue Hokkaido™ is a popular Japanese haskap selection valued for its large, flavourful berries and attractive upright growth habit. The deep-blue fruit has an excellent sweet-tart balance and is well suited to both fresh eating and processing. Growing about 4–5 feet tall, Blue Hokkaido™ forms a tidy, upright shrub and is a later-blooming variety, which is a useful characteristic in regions with mild or fluctuating winter temperatures.

Haskaps, also known as honeyberries or blue honeysuckle, are exceptionally cold-hardy, deciduous fruiting shrubs native to northern regions of Asia, Europe and North America. They are among the first berries to ripen each year, often producing ripe fruit before strawberries. The elongated, deep-blue berries have a distinctive sweet-tart flavour often compared to blueberries, with notes of raspberry, blackberry or grape depending on the variety. They are particularly rich in anthocyanins and other antioxidants, as well as vitamin C and other nutrients.

Haskaps are long-lived (30-50+ years) and perform best in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil. They are extremely winter hardy and relatively trouble-free, with few serious pest or disease problems. 

Haskap berries are delicious eaten fresh and also freeze exceptionally well. Their rich colour and sweet-tart flavour make them excellent for jams, jellies, pies, sauces, smoothies, baking, juice and wine.

Common names: Blue Hokkaido™ Haskap, Blue Hokkaido™ Honeyberry, Blue Honeysuckle, Fly Honeysuckle, Sweetberry Honeysuckle, Blue-Berried Honeysuckle 

Edible: Fruit
Harvest timing: May-June

Scientific name: Lonicera caerulea var. edulis 'Chitose #6' (aka Blue Hokkaido™)
Light requirements: Part sun (benefits from afternoon shade in hotter regions as leaves are prone to sun scorch, especially in later summer)
Full-grown size: 4-5' tall x 4-5' wide (upright growth habit)
Hardiness: Zone 2
Pollination: Late blooming and requires cross-pollination with a different variety of late blooming haskap, such as Blue Forest™ or Blue Pagoda™.
Wildlife: Flowers attract early spring pollinators and fruit attracts birds (similar to blueberries).
Origin: Species native to northern regions of Asia, Europe and North America. Cultivar is a Japanese selection associated with northern Japan/Hokkaido.
Noteworthy: Extremely cold hardy. Very popular variety in Japan.